Originally Posted by
pepperbelly
I rode 15 miles today. At about mile 12 my triceps started really getting sore. I moved from the hoods to the drops and back but it kept getting worse.
Could it be just that my bike isn’t setup for me correctly? I took a pic of it on another thread and someone mentioned my handlebars were rotated up. I rotated them forward some but I may need to go further.
My hands started tingling and wanting to cramp. I am guessing I am putting too much weight on them.
Is this something I can fix on my own or do I need to pay someone?
Originally Posted by
pepperbelly
The Roubaix is an endurance style bike with a more upright riding position and more relaxed geometry.
In the pic in my garage it is on a stand that raises the front wheel a little.
I remember when you were first considering this bike and riding. Also noted your progress and challenges since starting ride regularly. And your perseverance for staying with riding; which deserves big congrats.
some thoughts...
much of the 'road' riding position is best addressed by having adequate/good overall core strength and minimize excess mass/weight. Extra mass/weight is always fond in the torso and also proves a challenge to core strength. Not a judgement, just the way it is.
Given that core strength and reduction of excess weight is not a quick project (usually). There is a need to compensate for those issues. The most common compensations is to create and 'upright riding posture' AND using the arms to tripod/A frame on the bars, to create the needed support. Which causes wrist, arm, shoulder and neck issues.
A more upgright riding posture is an OK thing, IF you aren't locking your elbows and collapsing your wrists. Some bend in the elbows is very important (to a point, more then better). As straight as possible of a wrist line, from forearm to hand, is also desired.
A forward tilt to saddle will also cause a rider to constantly tend to 'slide' forward, and compensating for that usually results in locked elbows/straight arms... further exacerbating the wrist/arm problems.
so, just from cursory view of your bike. You might try leveling the saddle (the idea IS to carry a lot of your torso weight thru the sitzbones/saddle - not the arms). At the same time you might find you will need to lower the saddle a bit... Next, finding a better "saddle setback". While riding with good/strong, but NOT hard, pedal pressure, you should be able to ride with way with much lighter 'weight' on the hands, on the bars (prolly with hands on the hoods or back by the upper bar bends). Move the saddle BACK 4-5 mm if you can't ride with just fingertip pressure on the bars (this is the sought-after feel, but if you can't quite get there, get as close as possible.). Your saddle can prolly move back a whole cm without affecting your power much...
So, Combination of levelling saddle, possibly lowering saddle a bit, and moving saddle rearwards on rails...
When you do this , ride MODERATE gears for at least a week, slowly increasing your efforts over days - this allows the legs and body to slowly adapt to the position changes.
Lastly, 15 miles... it's really about saddle time... is that an hour of riding? or a little bit longer or shorter than 1 hr?
Is this a normal ride time for you? Or is it a bit longer?
Pushing past what your body is accustomed may come up with new challenges.
All us have had our own, so we cheer when you can deal with yours.
Ride On Yuri